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Topic: The Layover (Read 2846 times)

Beginning Monday, November 21st at 9:00 p.m. E/P, Bourdain is back like never before with a high octane series that gives him just 24-48 hours to explore an unexpected destination. Viewers get a ringside seat as Tony goes on the hunt for local intel and explores the essential “must see” places, people and foods in locations throughout the U.S., Asia and Europe. His itineraries, completely off the beaten track and all completed within a matter of hours, are mini-trips of a lifetime. No nonsense and budget friendly, Bourdain reveals insider tips that only the most seasoned travelers would know.

In each hour-long episode of the 10-part series, Bourdain explores a different jet-setting hub proving that layovers are opportunities for travelers to mingle with locals, crash parties, dine on local cuisine, and explore cultures. From New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami to Hong Kong, Singapore, London, Rome, Montreal and Amsterdam, viewers learn where to go, where to stay and what to eat, to maximize their enjoyment no matter how much or little time they have in that city.

"The Layover is a fast, busy and content-filled hour,” comments Bourdain. “We go to spots that I personally think are cool and fun for all budgets. In every case, these are places where I either did go, or would visit even when the cameras are off. The Layover is a reflection of what I’ve learned over time. It’s about telling a story that viewers can recreate themselves.”

Anthony Bourdain is a 28-year veteran of professional kitchens, having worked as a dishwasher, line cook and chef in places good, bad and horrible -- most of them in New York City. In 2000, he published a memoir of his experiences in the culinary underbelly. “Kitchen Confidential” became an unlikely, but enduring, international bestseller. He has since milked that lucky break for everything it's worth, following up with the gonzo-travel diary, “A Cook's Tour”; a historical account of the notorious turn-of-the-century cook and disease carrier, "Typhoid Mary"; the crime novels "A Bone in the Throat," "Gone Bamboo" and "The Bobby Gold Stories"; "The Les Halles Cookbook"; a collection of essays entitled “The Nasty Bits”; and the companion book to the Travel Channel series, No Reservations. His recently released, “Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook”, is the long-awaited follow-up to “Kitchen Confidential”, and is an insider’s perspective on the changes in the restaurant business. Since embarking on a round-the-world trip for "A Cook's Tour," he has continued traveling for No Reservations, for various publications, for public-speaking engagements and because he likes it. He lives in New York City with his wife, Ottavia, and his daughter, Ariane.

"Anthony Bourdain has been indulging his wanderlust on “No Reservations” for several seasons now, bringing his insatiable curiosity about food, customs and people to far-flung locales and raising the profile of the average travelogue series several notches to a one-man cultural essay.

The key to Bourdain’s success is that he blends: There’s nothing he won’t eat, even if it’s squirrel potpie prepared in the Ozarks, and no one he won’t talk to, whether it’s Cuban baseball fans in Havana or Ecuadorean street food vendors. He seems happy and at home wherever he is.

In his new series, “The Layover,” debuting Monday night on the Travel Channel, Bourdain has taken a more practical approach to his fascination with other cultures. The 10-part series drops him and his crew in a different city each week for just 24 to 48 hours. Bourdain’s assignment is to advise viewers on how to avoid tourist traps and make the most of their time.

“I’ve never tried to do anything useful, so it’s a bit of a departure for me,” he says, sitting in the garden area outside his Upper East Side high-rise.

“We were looking to develop something in between seasons of ‘No Reservations’ that we could do fast,” he says. “We were also looking to work with these new cameras and lenses that we got. It was really a breakthrough. Panavision loaned us some lenses, which is something they don’t do. They allowed us to shoot at night and to shoot an entire show without any lighting whatsoever.”

The new equipment made it possible to film the entire first season in just six weeks. It’s quite an itinerary: “The Layover” visits LA, Miami, Amsterdam, San Francisco, Montreal and, of course, New York.

In the New York episode, which airs Dec. 4, Bourdain takes us for a classic cocktail at Bemelmans Bar in the Carlyle hotel but also out to Queens, where restaurateur M. Wells creates innovative foie gras dishes in a casual diner environment (the restaurant closed last summer but plans to reopen).

“Given the opportunity to eat at a place like El Bulli, I will,” he says. “But, generally, my interest is in what’s the most loved street food of a Roman or where do the Singaporeans like to go late at night when they’re drunk?”

The former he discovered was a Porcetta sandwich served in brown paper at tiny hole-in-the-walls with just a counter and street seating. The latter is explored in the show’s premiere episode.

“Singapore’s like a foodie theme park,” Bourdain declares in the opening voice-over.

After eating his way through a variety of street food and local specialties (“Three or four meals a day especially in the roaring heat of Singapore, takes its toll,” he says), Bourdain ends up at a late-night Italian/Japanese fusion spot, Kilo, along the Kallang River which serves dishes like prawn and chili pizza.

“We love things that are old and bringing them back to life but not modernizing them,” the co-owner explains on camera.

“Singapore is the perfect layover because it’s small. It’s a tiny city-state that’s as food crazy as any nation on Earth,” Bourdain says. “If you’re going to be stuck anywhere for a layover, Singapore would probably be my No. 1 choice.”

Just in the airport alone, you can get a massage, see a movie, and stroll through six lush gardens. “I almost look forward to that airport,” Bourdain says of the aviation wonderland.

By contrast, Bourdain says travelers must take care in Rome.

“You would think there’s nothing but good food in Rome,” says Bourdain, who married an Italian, Ottavia Busia, in 2007. “In fact, it’s probably more likely if you’re there on a layover that you’re going to have a bad meal. There are a lot of bad restaurants in Rome for tourists.” Don’t make the common mistake of ordering dishes like cotoletta Milanese (breaded veal cutlet).

“They call it Milanese for a reason: it’s from f--king Milan,” Bourdain quips. Instead, he recommends cacio e pepe, which he insists is “as Roman as it gets,” adding that Italians instinctually seek out seasonal ingredients. “They don’t need a t-shirt bragging that they’re locavores.”

Some of Bourdain’s other travel tips are surprisingly mundane: He urges people to be prepared for security (no belts, please!), and suggests packing with dual-purposes in mind.

“I’ll wear something like this,” he says of the down jacket he’s wearing, “that I can squish into a ball for a pillow.”

It’ll come in handy on the long flight to Tokyo and the Ishikawa province, where he’ll soon shoot a chef-driven episode of “No Reservations” (the eighth season will air beginning in March). The gleam in his eyes as he discusses it suggests he’s not planning on slowing down anytime soon.

Anthony Bourdain has a new series, what to do while visiting international cities for layovers between flights of about 24 hours. In this case it was 30 hours.

He started by taking a $23 taxi from Changi Airport to the Grand Hyatt Hotel despite telling recommending that others take the much cheaper bus or Metropolitan Raid Transit line. He was met at the Hyatt by K.S. Vito, a local food expert who wrote a guide to Singapore's food. The first destination was the Tiong Bahru Market to sample from its Hawker Stalls. Singapore's 109 Hawker Stall centers were set up by the government to control food quality and they are noted worldwide. There are a number of foods he recommended to eat at Tiong Bahru; I wrote them down but as frequently happens cannot read my own notes. One that I can read is soybean milk and curd and another is Chicken Rice (using the stock from cooking the chicken to cook the rice).

Tony recommended the Thieves Market, the Botanical Gardens and the view from the bar at the top of the Marina bay Hotel.

He next went to Little India to eat these foods:Fish Head CurryNaan BradBiryanisCucumber RaitaPapadam

His last stop in Little India was a Curry House. He then went to get Chicken Rice

He mentioned the Night Safari at the zoo but did not personally do it this trip.

I believe there is a section of Singapore known as Nasi Lemak which he recommends. It is 5 minutes from Changi airport. At the airport, he had time for a swim in an airport hotel and a foot massage with those tiny piranha-like fish.

As a travel guide this was decent. Next time I get to Singapore (I've only been there once in my life) I will try to put his tips to use. I will continue to watch this show. Next week Tony goes to New York City, a very familiar place for him just as its Manhattan is for me.

Episode 2 of this new series is Bourdain in New York, where he lives. He gave himself 34 hours to see and eat his way around Manhattan. He recommends taking a Yellow Cab in to Manhattan from JFK, LaGuardia or Newark airports. This will cost $45 flat rate plus tolls (about $7) and a tip, or a total of $60. Here are some of his eating recommendations:

Betelman's Bar at The Carlyle Hotel

For a reasonably priced burger, Burger Joint at the Parker Meridien Hotel in Midtown.

For an expensive burger, Minetta's Tavern in the Village.

Overall, his favorite restaurant is Takashi, which combines Japanese and Korean culinary traditions.

For some expensive but exquisite sushi, either Yasuda's or Masa.

tony is pushing his list of "what you need to be a home chef":offset knives, cutting board, etc.For a hotdog, Papaya

Tony was off to Rome. On arrival, he stated that he hates Termini Station (crossroads for train, bus and, tram and subway lines) yet he took a train that went from the airport to there for $20. An express bus was $16 and a taxi $60. A $1 transit ticket in the center city gives you 1 hour's worth of bus, tram and subway rides.

Tony stated that the ideal breakfast was to avoid all hotel buffets and have cappucino and a corneto pastry, saving one's appetite for lunch.

I thought I had written this recap, but I don't see it in this thread so I am redoing it:

The Layover - Miami

Tony has 46 hours in Miami. He recommends either a shuttle bus to downtown for $19 or a taxi to Miami Beach for $32. Once he gets to South Beach, he checks into the Raleigh Hotel, one of many Art Deco hotels on the beach. He highly recommends renting a convertible to drive around in.

For food he likes La Perrada de Edgar, where he orders "the Colombian," a hot dog with many garnishes and potato sticks. At las Olas Cafe in South Beach, try the rice and beans. He also mentioned spots in Little Haiti and Little Havana. At the S&S diner downtown, try grits and gravy. He strongly recommends that Cuban Sandwich at Grillmaster.

Tony has 48 hours in Hong Kong. What will he eat and what else will he do?

He takes the 24 minute train from the airport to Kowloon (the mainland side of Hong Kong) for $13.

He checks into the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, frequently found in the "Best hotels of the World" Guides. I believe rooms start around $500 per night but I could not find out since all the pricing attempts I tried showed it sold out.

He starts eating at Joy Hing, Wanchai District, pork, roast goose and beef. For breakfast the next morning he goes to Ling Hsing Yuen in Central District for its macaroni, tomato sauce and meat soup.

His next stop is at Simpson Sin Tailor for a custom-made suit. Years ago these were in the $100 price range, but inflation has driven that up a bit. Tony gets one for $400 and there are 2 fittings (including one just before he leaves HKG).

He went to a live fish market just to check it out. I guess there were no onsite dining establishments.

For bars, he went to the Wai Discovery Bar, Central District.

Fuk Lai Kei in the Prince Edward district has outstanding oyster omelets.For squid and other comfort foods, he went to Tsu Wah in Lan Wai Fong.

He meets local expats in Rack's Bar in Lan Kei Fong, Central District to play pool. The telecast shows the Ozone Bar, a modern one with really upscale tapas, but there is no visual evidence that Tony actually went there.

the expats invited him to host them at Lancombe Seafood Restaurant off the dock at Lamma Island.

Tony visited Montreal, landing at Trudeau International Airport 20 miles from downtown. He had 27 hours for this layover (actually it was just a flight up from LaGuardia and a flight back with no Montreal hotel time). He prefers the limo at $36, will settle for a taxi at $26 and doesn't much care with luggage to use the $6 public transit option. Once in Montreal city limits, public transport is $3 for a single ticket and $8 per day. Tony travels with a friend who bicycles from one area to another, but I did not see any film of Tony actually riding a bicycle (which is available to the public all over Montreal for a modest fee). It's not his style so I doubt that he actually did that.

Tony had a number of recommendations on restaurants or food shops in various areas of Montreal:

Beauty's Luncheonette in PlateauSchwartz's in Plateau for its beef/pastramiLa Fromagerie in AtwaterClub Chasse et Peche in Old MontrealL'Emporte Piece in PlateauMarven's for Greek foodDominion Square Tavern, downtownL'Express in PlateauRotisserie Romados in Plateau for pork and chickenBrasserie T, downtownCharcuterie Hebraique

One market is Marche Jean Talon

One restaurant that Tony considers to be the paragon of Montreal eateries is Joe Beef in Little Burgundy. He knows and drinks with the two owners of that establishment and well as being gaga over their beef and oyster dishes.

TexasLady,There was one this past Monday. I am glad to know that somebody is actually reading this thread and cares about its content, as slayton is the only other RFF member who has commented all season.

The original information on The Layover stated 10 specific cities that were visited. With San Francisco telecast next Monday, that completes the list of 10 cities. So next week may be the end of The Layover and Anthony Bourdain will go back to No Reservations.

Tony visited Amsterdam for 36 hours. He took the train into Central Station from Schiphol Airport because it provides the fastest speed (20 minutes) and certainly the lowest cost (3.7 euros). There are certain things that anyone visiting Amsterdam must do and those include:

take a canal boat ride (in Tony's case on a rented small boat)see the red light districtride a bicycle (although Tony prefers the trams)hang out in the Vondelparktake a free ferry to North Amsterdam (to hang out at Cafe Noorderlicht there)

Tony elected to start his visit at the Cafe int Rapjen bar in Zeedijk. He went to Frens Haringhandel for the herring, pickles and onions.

He particularly enjoyed the ambience at the coffee house de rampkring because marijuana is smoked legally there. He also enjoyed it at de Pilsner Club, where beer on tap was served.

Tony was not impressed by the karaoke at Melo Melo Club in Liedseplein.

His favorite breakfast spot in Amsterdam is the Upstairs Pancake House.

Tony loved the Indonesian food at Tempo Doeloe.

His last food before heading for the airport was cheese and salami on toothpicks at the Wildplein Cafe

This is the last of 10 destinations visited by Anthony Bourdain. The focus of this has been on restaurants and bars (what surprise for anyone who has ever seen No Reservations!). There is little of the classic sight-seeing advice for travelers, although he does make an exception for Pier 23 at he Embarcadero and for the Tonga Room tiki bar in the basement of the Fairmount, both of which he recommends.

Tony stated that visitors can land at either Oakland International Airport or San Francisco International Airport. From either taxis or Bay Area Rapid Transit will get you downtown. His first destination is the Fairmount Hotel (he obviously believes that if the Travel Channel is paying for it he should stay at the very best).

Then it's on to a variety of restaurants:Swan Oyster Depot on Nob Hill - the sea urchins are fabulousTo Hyang - Korean food in Inner Richmond, the proprietor grows most of the herbs usedA pop-up restaurant - Tony demonstrated how this concept works with a new cooking and serving team taking charge of an ongoing restaurant for a period of timeModern Chinese - a pop-up inside another restaurant (which is still doing takeout)La Folie on Russian Hill- run by Tony's good friend George King of Noodles, Inner SunsetYet Lan Chinese, North End

Interspersed with that is a lot of bar visits, since Tony rates San Francisco as the "best drinking town in the U.S." Here are some of the bars he visited:Toronado Bar, Lower HeightZeitgeist Bat, a beer gardenAlexander Bar, Haight AshburyMr. Bing's

Allemmey Farmer's Market got a positive mention.

The one place that Tony went most gaga over was the Tonga Room. He loved their drinks an atmosphere (and he fact that he only had to reach an elevator to get to his room).

It turns out that my counting is not very accurate. there was in fact only 8 recaps. Los Angeles (next week) and London (this week) are not done yet. sorry for my confusion. It is not a wrap for The Layover just yet.

Tony arrived in London's Heathrow Airport with 27 hours on layover. He first met with Chef Fergus Henderson, one of England's current culinary giants. Fergushad recently opened the St. John's Hotel where Tony stayed and had breakfast of 2 eggs on black pudding. A standard English breakfast found elsewhere includes 2 eggs, beans, tomato, mushrooms, white pudding. potatoes. Another good breakfast place is Pellicci's Cafe in the Bethmal Green district. Bar Italie in Soho and g. Kelly's are also good breakfast spots.

Tony highly recommends meat pies for lunch. They are available all over London including Square Pie Company where a meat pie with mashed potatoes or peas will cost around 10 pounds.

Tony had some very absurd exchange rate information. Let's assume that the dollar per pound rate has slipped a bit between filming of this episode and telecast. He stated 2 $/pound which is far too high.

Tony recommends that tourists use the London Tube to get around except not in rush hours. However, you see him personally using a taxi to go anywhere (including a few short blocks) but then the Travel Channel is paying so he doesn't have to act like he is spending his own money.

A taxi ride starts at 30$ and goes up from there. He did not say what a 24 hour tourist card on the London Tube costs.

The national dish of England is now chicken tikka masala.

After he met up with White they went to his acclaimed seafood restaurant Wheeler's, where the front room was reserved exclusively for them. Then they went drinking. One bar was Hot Stuff in Stockwell, another was Bradley Bar in Tottenham Court Road. When the bars closed (surprisingly early at round 11pm), then drinking goes to private clubs. Tony actually belonged to 2 of them, Trisha's at 57 Greek St. and Phoenix Actor's Club.

As it was time for Tony to leave London, his last act was to get the taxi driver to find a "greasy spoon" with major meat (we know that means pork when tony is involved) products.

Tony hit town via LAX airport, although he did acknowledge that Long Beach and Burbank airports can be more convenient (he didn't say it but only if you are flying in from else where in California). He mentioned that LA has 469 square miles and was very car-oriented. No mass transit may apply here! He tried to visit many ethnic neighborhoods, but how much can you do in 36 hours. He visited Atwater, Downtown, Skid Row, Koreatown, Little Tokyo, and a little bit of Hollywood (in LA) and Beverly Hills (an enclave legally separate from but totally within LA).

There is only one place worthy of Tony staying there. That is the Chateau Marmont, which is considerable privacy, large suites, pools, kitchens, etc.

Food trucks are important and all over. Two major brands are Ludo's chicken run by Ludovic Levebre and his photogenic wife and Roy Chu's Korean BBQ and kimchi run by Roy Chu. Each of those also took Tony out to sample the eating and drinking establishments that they knew best. Tony went to: